Congress will contest UP alone: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Lucknow: The Indian National Congress would be contesting in Uttar Pradesh on its own merit and would not be forming alliances with any other party, said Congress Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the Pratigya Sammelan-Lakshya 2022 rally in Bulandshahr, UP on Sunday. She dismissed any rumours of an alliance with the Samajwadi Party or with Akhilesh Yadav, stating that tickets would be given to Congress workers only.

"Congress has fought against inflation and loot policies of BJP on the strength of its organization for the whole 5 years. The Congress party will fight the elections firmly on the strength of the organization," she tweeted. The Congress campaign has so far focused on women and religious minorities, urging them to vote for the Congress to represent their interests.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been rallying Congress workers and the public in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Assembly Elections next year which the Congress hopes will restore some fortune to the party after it won just 7 seats out of 403 in the last Assembly Elections. This time, Congress has offered 40% of available seats to women candidates in UP.

Taking a dig at the Yogi Adityanath government which is facing criticism for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and response, Priyanka said that neither the BJP nor the SP, BSP had come to help the people of UP in any crisis but the Congress had been active in the case of Hathras, Unnao and even the pandemic response itself. In addition to this, the BJP had no respect for the freedom movement as they constantly disrespected the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhai Patel who were instrumental in getting India Independence, Mrs Gandhi Vadra noted.

To strengthen the Congress, booth level activities and workers would have to be promoted more heavily for which social media should be used effectively, she said, urging Congress workers at booth level to be more active and post more party activities on social media.